Austin businesses and organizations are urging city leaders to prioritize protected bike lanes on Sixth Street as part of the city’s Sixth Street Mobility and Revitalization Project.
Coalition Letter Seeks Safety Infrastructure
Safe Streets Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for safer and more accessible streets, bikeways, and trails, signed a joint letter with more than 50 businesses. The letter asks Austin City Council to implement protected bike lanes on Sixth Street between I-35 and Congress Avenue as part of the revitalization project. The coalition emphasizes that protected lanes are essential for safe biking and rolling.
Letter Highlights the Need for Protected Lanes
The coalition’s letter states, “There can be no substitute for protected bike lanes on Sixth Street. Sixth is both a unique connector – flatter than streets to the north and the only continuous westbound route from I-35 to MoPac – and a major destination for Austinites and visitors alike, which people should be able to access safely, no matter how they get around. But without protected bicycle lanes, Sixth remains unsafe for people biking and rolling, undermining both safety and the street’s vitality.” The letter calls for immediate implementation.
2023 Bicycle Plan Provides Blueprint
The coalition notes that the 2023 council-approved Bicycle Plan includes the potential for protected bike lanes that would stretch more than a mile along Sixth Street. This plan offers a framework that the city could follow to add the lanes the coalition seeks.
Mobility Targets and Vision Zero
The coalition also points out that protected bike lanes on Sixth would help advance the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan’s target of 50% non-drive-alone trips by 2039. In addition, the lanes would support Vision Zero, as they would reduce serious crashes by providing a safer space for cyclists.
Adam Greenfield on City Standards
Adam Greenfield, interim executive director for Safe Streets Austin, said Austin has been “upping its standards with bike infrastructure in recent years,” but there’s still room for improvement. He added, “Whether we put in bike infrastructure on Sixth Street is really a litmus test for where we’re at as a city. Are we ready to go prime-time with biking in Austin? If so, we have to get protected bike lanes on Sixth Street, and if we get protected bike lanes on Sixth Street, they will not only become some of the most iconic, bike infrastructure in Austin, they will become some of the most iconic bike infrastructure in all of Texas.”
Infrastructure for All
Greenfield stressed that as Sixth Street evolves, it needs the infrastructure to welcome “all kinds of people.” He said, “We want wide sidewalks, we want improvements to the business environment, and we also need bike lanes. People are constantly biking by on Sixth Street. But right now, there is no safe way for them to do that, there’s no protected bike lanes.”
Safety for Families and Children
He continued, “People are going to be biking and scooting on Sixth Street. Are we going to make it safe for them? Or, the people who don’t bike on Sixth Street because it’s too dangerous, what kind of message does that send? Especially if we’re asking families and children to come and frequent the businesses on this street and to move through safely, too,” Greenfield said.
Key Takeaways
- Over 50 businesses and organizations have urged the city to add protected bike lanes on Sixth Street.
- The 2023 Bicycle Plan includes a plan for more than a mile of protected lanes.
- Protected lanes would support the city’s 2039 mobility goal and Vision Zero crash-reduction targets.
The coalition’s letter and Greenfield’s remarks underscore the urgency of adding protected bike lanes to Sixth Street. By doing so, Austin would address safety concerns, support its mobility plans, and create a more inclusive streetscape for cyclists, families, and businesses alike.
